Africa RISING M&E Expert Meeting

5-7 September 2012
ILRI Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
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Organizers' agenda


Timing
Session
Resource person [presenter, chair or facilitator]
8.30
Introduction:
  • Welcome
  • Participants' introduction
  • Agenda
[C] Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere (IFPRI)
[C] Peter Thorne (ILRI)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
9.15
  • Brief overview of M&E in Africa RISING (10')
  • Research design presentation (20')
[P] Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI)
[P] Joseph Rusike (IITA), Naomie Sakane (IFPRI/MSU)
9.45
Plenary discussion (meeting agenda, overall research design, M&E,...)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
10.30
Break

11.00
Status of research planning in the three project zones:
  • Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa (20')
  • Plenary discussion about West Africa(15')
  • Ethiopian highlands (20')
  • Plenary discussion about Ethiopian Highlands(15')
  • East and Southern Africa (20')
  • Plenary discussion about East and Southern Africa(15')
  • Plenary discussion about the collective picture (15')
[C] Sieg Snapp (MSU)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
[P] Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon (IITA), Asamoah Larbi (IITA), Sibiry Traore (ICRISAT)
[P] Peter Thorne (ILRI), Diego Valbuena (ILRI)

[P] Mateete Bekunda (IITA), Regis Chikowo (MSU)
13.00
Lunch break

14.00
Data platform:
  • Site characterization and rationale for site selection (25' + 5' Q&A)
  • Walkabout Q&A (15')
  • IFPRI monitoring tools and implementing partners: how to? (45')
[C] Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
[P] Christopher Legg (IFPRI)
[P] Ryan Whitley, Jubal Harpster (SpatialDev)
15.30
Break

16.00
Feedback on M&E plan and tools
  • Plenary clarification questions (15')
  • Group discussion about (45')
    • Tools
    • Site characterization
  • Plenary feedback (15')
[C] Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)

Group animators:
Ryan Whitley, Jubal Harpster (SpatialDev) on tools
Christopher Legg (IFPRI) and An Notenbaert (ILRI) on site characterization
17.15
Final impressions for day 1
[P] Sieg Snapp (MSU)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
17.30
Close

18.30
Social event




Day 2

8.45
Recap day 1 and program day 2
[C] Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI) and Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
9.00
  • Overview of current M&E activities and reporting for Africa RISING (20')
  • USAid Feed the Future indicators (15')
  • Research design and opportunities for evaluation (30')
[C] Mateete Bekunda (IITA)
[P] Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI)
[P] Gary Ender (IFPRI/Abt Associates)
[P] Joseph Rusike (IITA) & Peter Thorne (ILRI)
9.45
Group work session on indicators and impact evaluation of Africa RISING I (45'):
What are the most important questions we need to ask ourselves and how can we use them to learn and inform management?
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
10.30
Break

11:00
Group work session on indicators and impact evaluation of Africa RISING II (120'):
  • How to use / adapt the Feed the Future indicators?
  • Is there room to carry out rigorous impact evaluation? How?
  • How to link indiators to impact evaluation? Which ones?
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
Group animators:
Gary Ender (IFPRI/Abt Associates)
Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI)
Joseph Rusike (IITA)
13.00
Lunch break

14.00
Draft M&E plan and overall future strategy I
  • Presentation of the components of the plan (30')
  • Clarification questions (15')
  • Group work (45'): review the M&E plans (in regional groups) and comment: what's agreed, what's disputed, what's missing
[C] Jerry Glover (USAid)
[P] Gary Ender (IFPRI/Abt Associates)
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
15.30
Break

16.00
Draft M&E plan and overall future strategy II
  • Group feedback (30')
  • Plenary discussion (45')
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
17.15
Final impressions for day 2
[P] Jerry Glover (USAid)
17.30
Close

Day 3

8.45
Recap day 2 and program day 3
[C] Carlo Azzarri and Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
9.00
M&E plan: next steps and the four years ahead
[P] Gary Ender (IFPRI / Abt Associates)
9.30
Bringing it all together - comments on the next steps
[C] Jerry Glover (USAid)
10.00
Group work: Devising / polising regional plans
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
10.30
Break

11.00
Feedback from regional groups
[F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
11.30
Parking lot issues
F] Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI)
12.30
Synthesis of the meeting and concluding remarks
[C] Jerry Glover (USAid) and participants
13.00
Close & lunch break


Session details

Session 1.1 (intro)

  • Intro by Peter Thorne
  • Introduction Ewen and housekeeping
  • Introduction of the participants:
    • Find people from the same country of origin (check)
    • From the same country of residence (check)
    • From the same Africa RISING region + global group?
    • Do a double circle speed dating to explain in 1 min (in total i.e. 30 sec. each) what their function is in Africa RISING and what they hope from this workshop - with people from same regions sitting next to each other.
    • Check on expectations
  • Agenda, Q&As: Handing over to Carlo
    • Going through agenda (and reflecting back on some expectations).

1.2 Research design presentation

Simple, clear cut: 1 presentation with timing.
Ask people to put their questions on cards (on tables) if they want to come back to them later
5 min Q&A on clarification only.

1.4 plenary discussion

Check questions from participants - inviting people with questions to come back to them.
Discussion on any aspect - and ask presenters to tell their name again.

1.5 Presentations in the 3 zones

Presentation, well timed (max 20 min) + 15' discussion afterward for each region and then 15' at the end to bring it together.
Clarification questions after each.
For me to keep track of questions and issues that relate to all 3 regions.

1.6 Data platform

Well timed presentation (30 min and 45 min)
After first presentation, do a walkabout (5-10') to ask questions to each other and reflect about it all then come back to questions for 5'
Before 2nd presentation ask people to put down their questions on cards if need be for second preso
Other presentation (45') and no Q&A or as part of the presentation/break + later

1.7 Plenary discussion on M&E plans

  • (15') Feedback on M&E plans and tools / clarification questions
  • (2x20') Organize 2 corners with Ryan & Jubal and then with Christopher & An and then swap groups
Bus stop: One one hand, data (with Christopher Legg) and on the other hand overall design (with Gary Ender) 20 min of discussion with each and swap for another 20 min.
15 min Final reflections on the M&E plans generally - what is great and what do we need to keep the pulse on?
15 min final reflections by Sieg Snapp about the final plans.

2.1 Recap and agenda day 2

Recap Carlo Azzari + Ewen prompting questions from centers, regions, research design.
Briefly go through program for the day.

2.2 Presentations on M&E

Well timed presentations
No Q&A

2.3 Group work session on indicators

If loose objectives, 2 fishbowls of 25 min and swapping;
Otherwise 2 group works in separated groups - discuss (45 min) and present one poster after break for 5-10 min. each
Plenary discussion 10 min to pick up final threads

2.4 World cafe on indicators etc.

(15-20 min) Presentation previous group work
(10-15 min) Plenary discussion
World cafe on the following questions:
  • How to use/adapt the Feed the Future indicators? (Gary)
  • Is there room to carry out rigorous impact evaluation? How? (Carlo)
  • How to link indicators to impact evaluation - which ones? (Joseph)
25 + 25 + 20 min + 20 min summary/discussion

2.5 M&E plans

Presentation well timed (30 min) - 1 or 2 questions for clarification
Walkabout Q&A (30 min)
Review of the plans by Peter (before the break)
Review of the plans by Irmgard (after the break)

2.6 Plenary comment on M&E plans

(30 min) Split yourselves in what's going well, what's not good and what's missing in 3 boards;
(15 min) Then come back as one and explain the main points for each board/group;
(15 min) Then discuss and agree on what needs to be kept, to be rewritten (in what way?) and to be added + who volunteers.
Closing remarks by Sieg Snapp about what was heard today.

3.1 Recap and agenda of the day

Recap Carlo Azzari + Ewen prompting questions from Global perspective and from regional perspective.
Briefly go through program for the day.

3.2 M&E plan: next steps and the four years ahead

Providing background info. Only clarification questions for 5-10 min.

3.3 Bringing it all together (30 or 60 min?)

  • Regional reps holding a stand
  • Centers brainstorming on unclear issues / responsibilities
  • Each center paying a visit to the regions to add their responsbilities
  • Coordinators to summarize what are gaps/overlaps

3.4


3.5


3.6

How can we collaborate?

Bringing it all together (assessing responsibilities for future actions) - Rich picture and then regional bus stop across center teams
  • First centre work to identify roles & responsibilities
  • Then each centre to go around regions (with rep for each region holding a sheet/board) to identify specific responsibilities in those and shape up a rich picture of the region
  • Then each region to identify key gaps and overlaps (where there's too many concurrent responsibilities and/or not enough)
  • Then everyone goes around to hear the final situation in each region and sort out gaps/overlaps